Card feeding device



1961 o. M. TOENNIES CARD FEEDING DEVICE 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 4, 1959 INVENTOR. OWE M. TOENNIES weamg eewv Jan. 17, 1961 o. M. TOENNIES CARD FEEDING DEVICE 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 4, 1959 s E N mT WM E W 0 Jan. 17, 1961 o. M. TOENNIES CARD FEEDING DEVICE 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Feb. 4, 1959 INVENTOR. OWE M.TOENN|ES WWW Miss Jan. 17, 1961 Filed Feb. 4, 1959 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR.

OWE M. TOENNIES United States Patent CARD FEEDING DEVICE Owe M. Toennies, Cincinnati, Ohio, assignor to The Grove Research and Development Co., Cincinnati, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Filed Feb. 4, 1959, Ser. No. 791,078

2 Claims. (Cl. 53-196) This invention relates to a device for feeding a wrapper to a machine which wraps the wrapper around a food package. This is a continuation-in-part of my pending application Serial No. 649,694, filed April 1, 1957, now Patent No. 2,884,750, issued May 5, 1959.

Many food products, such as sliced meats and the like, are packaged inside a wrapper which may be formed of cardboard, or the like, and which surrounds or protects the edges of the package. The wrapper may be provided with an opening or window through which a portion of the transparent package is exposed. Such wrappers are folded about a meat package and the edges of the wrapper are sealed together around the inner package.

An object of this invention is to provide a device which automatically feeds wrappers to such a machine.

A further object of this invention is to provide a device which automatically feeds wrappers to a machine of this type and aligns the wrappers with meat receiving cups which move along the machine.

The above and other objects and features of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art to which this invention pertains from the following detailed description and the drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a somewhat schematic plan view showing a portion of a machine which includes a wrapper feeding device constructed in accordance with an embodiment of this invention, parts of the machine being broken away to reveal internal details, some of the frame members being omitted for clarity, package wrappers being shown in dot-dash lines;

Fig. 1A is a somewhat schematic plan view showing the remainder of the machine;

Fig. 2 is a somewhat schematic view in side elevation, partly broken away and in section of the portion of the machine shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 2A is a somewhat schematic view in side elevation, partly broken away and in section, of the portion of the machine shown in Fig. 1A;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary perspective view showing a switch and a switch operating sprocket wheel;

Fig. 4 is a schematic view showing electrical and pneumatic connections;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary perspective view of the wrapper feeding apparatus;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary, somewhat schematic plan view of the wrapper feeding apparatus with a solenoid thereof de-energized;

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary, somewhat schematic plan view of the wrapper feeding apparatus with the solenoid energized and a vacuum impressed on vacuum cups thereof; and

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary, somewhat schematic plan view of the wrapper feeding apparatus with the solenoid energized and the vacuum released.

In the following detailed description, and the drawings, like reference characters indicate like parts. In Figs. 1, 1A, 2, and 2A is illustrated a machine 10 which embodies a wrapper feeding device constructed in accord- Patented Jan. 17, 1961 ance with an embodiment of this invention. The machine 10 includes a framework indicated generally at 12. The framework supports transverse shafts 13 (Fig. 2) and 14 (Fig. 2A). As shown, sprocket wheels 16 (only one of which is shown, see Fig. 2) are mounted on shaft 13 and sprocket wheels 18 (only one of which is shown, see Fig. 2A) are mounted on shaft 14. The shaft 13 is driven by a motor 21 which drives appropriate belting and gearing (not shown in detail) enclosed in a housing 22 and connected to the shaft 13.

Main conveyor chains 23 and 24 run on the sprocket wheels 16 and 18. The upper courses of the conveyor chains run on appropriate supports (not shown).

The main conveyor chains 23 and 24 are connected by transverse bars 31 (Fig. 1). Each transverse bar 31 supports a hollow, upwardly opening, box-like package holder 32. The construction and operation of the package holder is more fully set out in my aforementioned patent.

As one of the package holders approaches the position indicated at 32a, a wrapper 48 is fed to the package holder by wrapper feeding apparatus 49 (Figs. 1 and 2). Details of construction of the wrapper feeding apparatus are shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 5-8 inclusive. The wrapper feeding apparatus includes a box 51 which is supported on the framework of the machine with the bottom 52 of the box sloping downwardly and toward the conveyor chains. The box has open ends and a plurality of wrappers 48 are mounted in the box. A weight 53, which slides on the bottom of the box, holds the wrappers with ends thereof engaging inwardly directed flanges 54 of angle members which are mounted on the edges of side wall panels 56 and 57. A U-shaped solenoid frame 58 is mounted on the box and supports a solenoid 59. The solenoid core is attached to a transverse bar 60 which moves longitudinally from the position shown in Fig. 6 to the position shown in Fig. 7 when the solenoid 59 is energized. Springs 61 and 62 (Figs. 1, 2 and 5) return the transverse bar 60 to the position shown in Fig. 6 when the solenoid is de-energized.

The transverse bar 60 carries suction tubes 63 and 64 (Fig. 5). The suction tubes 63 and 64 carry suction cups 65 and 66, respectively, at the free ends thereof. When the solenoid is released, the suction cups engage the wrapper which engages the flanges 54. Next, a vacuum is impressed on the suction tubes through a suction line 67 (Fig. 5). Then, when the solenoid is energized, the wrapper engaged by the suction cups is drawn to the position shown in Fig. 7 at 48a, and the edges of the wrapper 48a come free of the flanges 54. Then, the vacuum is released, and the wrapper falls downwardly and is caught by quarter-round guides 69 (Figs. 2 and 5) which guide the wrapper to a position above one of the holders as the holder advances from the position shown at 32b in Fig. 2 to that indicated at 32a. At this point, the ends of the wrapper rest upon a table 70 (Fig. 1) which is supported by the framework of the machine. The vacuum to the vacuum line may be controlled by an appropriate electrically operated valve 70a (see Fig. 4). The vacuum may be supplied by any suitable source of vacuum such as a vacuum pump 70b. The power to the vacuum cup operating solenoid 56 and power to a solenoid 700 which operates the valve 70a may be controlled by switches 71 and 72. As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the switch 71 is operated by switch operating ribs 73 of one of the sprocket wheels 16. The switch 72 is mounted on the solenoid frame 58. As shown, Figs. 6-8 inclusive, a switch actuater 74 of the switch 72 is engageable by the transverse bar 60 so that when the bar 60 reaches the position shown in Fig. 8, the switch 72 energizes the solenoid 700 so that the solenoid 70c can swing the valve 70a to vacuum released position.

The wrapper is initially advanced in alignment with one of the holders by pusher members 76. The pusher members 76 are mounted on chains 77 and 78 (Fig. 1) which extend generally in the same direction as the main conveyor chains. The chains 7-7 and 78 run on sprocket wheels 79 and 80, as shown in Fig. 2. As shown, the sprocket wheels 80 (only one of which is shown) are mounted at a lower position than the sprocket wheels 79 (only one of which is shown), so that, as the pusher members advance, the pusher members sink to below the edge of the table 70 to come free of the wrapper. The pusher members are advanced at the same speed as the package holders by means of an appropriate drive (not shown). As the package holder advances in alignment with the wrapper, a meat package (not shown) is loaded into the Wrapper by the operator of the machine with the meat package extending through the wrapper and into one of the package holders. wrapper then advance to the right along the machine as shown in Figs. 1, 1A, 2, and 2A. The operation of this portion of the machine is described and claimed in aforementioned patent.

In the drawings, only a limited number of package holders has been shown, but it is to be understood that there may be any suitable number of regularly spaced package holders mounted on the main conveyor chains.

The machine and package feeding device illustrated in the drawings and described above. are subject to structural modification without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A wrapper-feeding device for a package wrapping machine which comprises a wrapper-holding box having an open end, means for urging a plurality of wrappers toward said open end, upright flanged members mounted at said open end for engaging edges of one of the wrappers at said open end, the flanged members holding the wrappers in substantially vertical position, a suction cup mounted adjacent said open end for movement substantially normally to the wrappers, said suction cup being movable between a wrapper-gripping position engaging said one of the wrappers and a wrapper delivery position spaced from the Wrapper-gripping position, means for impressing a vacuum on the suction cup when in wrappergripping position, means for moving the suction cup to wrapper delivery position when the vacuum is impressed to draw said one of the wrappers free of the flanged members, and a quarter-circular guide below the wrapper 5 delivery position, said guide having an upwardly extend- The package holder and ing wrapper receiving end and a substantially horizontal lower discharge end, the vacuum being releasable when the suction cup is in wrapper delivery position to release said one of the wrappers to drop downwardly therefrom along the guide, said one of the wrappers making a quarter-turn as it falls along the guide to be discharged substantially horizontally.

2. A wrapper feeding device for a machine which includes a conveyor and a package receiving receptacle mounted on said conveyor, said wrapper feeding device comprising a table overlying and adjacent the path of advance of said package receiving receptacle, a wrapperholding box having an open end mounted above said table, means for urging a plurality of wrappers in said box toward said open end, upright flanged members mounted at said open end for engaging edges of one of the wrappers at said open end, the flanged members holdingthe wrappers in substantially vertical position, a suc' tion cup mounted adjacent said open end for movement substantially normally to the wrappers, said suction cup being movable between a wrapper-gripping position engaging the said one of the wrappers and a wrapperdeliveryposition spaced from the wrapper-gripping position, means for impressing a vacuum on the suction cup when in wrapper-gripping position, means for moving the suction cup to wrapper-delivery position when the vacuum is impressed to draw said one of the wrappers free of the flanged members, a quarter-circular guide below saidwrapped delivery position, said guide having an up wardly extending wrapper receiving end and a substantially horizontal lower discharge end, the vacuum being releasable when the suction cup is in wrapper-delivery position to release said one of the wrappers to drop downwardly, the guide guiding said one of the wrappers onto the table, said table having a slot aligned with the path of advance of the package receiving receptacle, a second conveyor underlying and aligned with said slot, a pusher finger on said second conveyor for engaging the wrapper to advance the wrapper along the table in registry with the package receiving receptacle, the second conveyor being inclined downwardly of the table, whereby the pusher finger first engages the wrapper, then advances the wrapper in registry with the package receiving receptacle, and then sinks below the table to release the wrapper.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATION OF CORRECTION Patent No.. 2,968,138 January 17, 1961 Qwe M. Toennies It is h'er'eby certified that error appears in the above numbered patent requiring correction and "that the said LettersPatent should read as corrected below.

Column 4, line 29, for "wrapped" read wrapper Signed and sealed this 30th day of May 1961 (SEAL Attestz ERNEST W. SWIDER DAVID L. LADD Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents 

